A flurry of newly appointed creative directors has upended fashion’s status quo in recent months, but don’t be distracted: today belongs to Rachel Scott. On February 11, she staged her first Proenza Schouler runway show since taking the helm of the brand founded in 2002 by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez (who, in turn, skedaddled over to Loewe last spring). She continues to design for her own label, Diotima, which is also on the NYFW calendar.
In front of an audience that included Olivia Munn, Jemima Kirk, and Hari Nef, Scott presented her vision of “a new Proenza Schouler woman—a woman shaped by thought, intuition, contradiction,” according to the show notes. “To the unknowing eye, she is put together, precise, deathly punctual. Those who recognize her sense that there is more to her: The Proenza Schouler woman for Fall 2026 rejects perfection as constraint. She is composed, yet mysterious and cinematic. She is disciplined but capricious—human.” How, exactly, does that translate to clothes and accessories? Continue reading for my breakdown of the fall/winter 2026 collection.
The First Women’s Collection By Rachel Scott
Scott is embracing the artfully askew for fall/winter 2026. Models walked down the runway wearing smudged lipstick and rumpled dresses that looked like they could have been fetched out of the hamper ten minutes before showtime. The woman Scott had in mind “was in a rush…moving quickly and with purpose,” as the press release explained. Other off-kilter details included irregular buttons and unconventional tucks.
The Next Step
In the show notes, Proenza Schouler explained that this season’s “footwear explores distortion: grounded pumps with exaggerated square toes, sharply elongated pointed kitten heels, satin sandals with shearling footbeds. Ruptured fringe carries the collection’s sense of controlled friction into footwear.”
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